A CORBRIDGE business has pledged its support for a village charity throughout 2017.

Staff at Brocksbushes Farm Shop have chosen the Charlotte Straker Project, which is currently running a campaign to raise funds to provide a community respite care bed, as its chosen charity for the year.

The charity, which provides residential, nursing and respite care in the community, has launched an appeal to cover the costs of providing a free respite care bed for at least three years.

Such was the response to the appeal that £120,000 was generated in just three months, allowing the bed to be made available from January 1, while fund-raising continues to ensure the future of the service.

Head of trustees at Charlotte Straker Bill Cunningham said: “We are so grateful that we have been allowed to become Brocksbushes’ charity of the year.

“We carried out a presentation on the Charlotte Straker Project to all the staff at Brocksbushes Farm Shop, and after hearing about our work, they have agreed to support us throughout 2017.

“This means that we will get the chance to fund-raise at the very busy events that they hold throughout the next 12 months, and gives us the opportunity to raise our profile and tell even more people about our new respite care bed.”

The charity has been invited to take part in the “Sampling Saturdays” that are held each month at Brocksbushes, along with their busy summer and Christmas fairs.

Caroline Dickinson, owner of Brocksbushes, said: “Myself and the team are delighted that we will be supporting the Charlotte Straker Project throughout the next year.

“We have been very impressed by the hard work and commitment to the community and we are pleased to be able to support their fund-raising and promotion of the respite care bed for Northumberland.”